Terence Dzvukamanja the Next Big Zimbabwean Star?

As the generation of Cuthbert Malajila, Tendai Ndoro, Nyasha Mushekwi and Kingston Nkhatha gradually vacate the limelight, a new crop of Zimbabwean attackers looks primed to seize centre stage in South Africa’s Premiership.

Kuda Mahachi has made the step up to Orlando Pirates from Golden Arrows, while more will be expected from Walter Musona as he begins his second full season at Polokwane.

Arrows’ Knox Mutizwa has also served notice of a promising campaign in the offing, and the speedy Talent Chawapiwa could yet set the scene alight at Baroka.

What’s more, there is a new kid on the block in the form of former Ngezi Platinum forward Terence Dzvukamanja, who has just joined Bidvest Wits after some superb performances in the Zimbabwe Premiership.

At 24, he may not exactly fit the profile of a budding starlet, but his best years are most certainly still ahead of him.

It won’t be long before Dzvukamanja proves to South African fans just why his emergence has generated such intense excitement among those who have closely followed his progress.

This is not to belittle the task he faces as he battles to establish himself as a regular at Wits, but he has started brightly enough, having made the starting line-up for the first three matches and emerging with a goal and two assists.

Ngezi assistant coach Clifton Kadurira, who has worked with Dzvukamanja since 2014, is not surprised to see his former prodigy hit the ground running in South Africa.

“I watched him when Wits beat Kaizer Chiefs and I was really impressed with his work-rate. He got a goal, which was good, but he was also doing a lot of defensive work, tackling and wining balls,” Kadurura told KweséESPN.

“But I have always insisted that this young man is very talented and deserves to be playing in a better league. I am not surprised that he is already making an impact at Wits. I am actually expecting more from him.”

In the 3-1 win against Chiefs, Dzvukamanja showed his predatory instincts with his team’s second goal, finding space at the back post to head home an inch-perfect cross from Sifiso Hlanti.

“He gets into the box very often, always trying to get into scoring positions. That is one key aspect of his game, and he gets a lot of chances because of that,” Kadurira added.

Dzvukamanja’s emergence represents a positive development for the Warriors, not least because his skillset enables him to provide cover for a wide range of positions.

Against Chiefs he was switching wings, but he can also play through the middle, either in the hole or as the outright centre forward.

But what sets him apart from Zimbabwe’s other emerging attackers is his output, having proved during his time at Ngezi that he is as good in creating chances as he is in putting them away.

By the time he left Ngezi for Wits, Dzvukamanja had scored eight goals in 13 matches, while also impressing with his pass accuracy and excellent first touch. He ended last season with 11 goals.

Having made his debut for the Warriors at this year’s COSAFA tournament, Dzvukamanja now has the perfect stage to show he possesses enough quality to remain part of coach Sunday Chidzambwa’s plans.

And if his progression continues as expected, he should boost Zimbabwe’s options in attack, providing some much-needed cover for star players Knowledge Musona and Khama Billiat.

In the past, injury to either player has left the Warriors with a crippling creativity deficit upfront. The emergence of Dzvukamanja, along with Talent Chawapiwa and Tino Kadewere, means that should no longer be the case going forward.

But first things first … Dzvukamanja must continue to prove he can perform with the same consistency in South Africa as was the case during his two-and-a-half seasons in the Zimbabwean top-flight.

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